1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electronically controlled transmission for a vehicle, for example a straddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle. More specifically, the embodiments relate to an electronically controlled transmission including structures for reliably shifting to a neutral position.
2. Background Art
A conventional “return-type” transmission is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-Hei 6-123355. The return-type transmission disclosed in JP-A-Hei 6-123355 is a manual transmission used in a motorcycle. FIG. 7 of the present application shows the return-type transmission disclosed in JP-A-Hei 6-123355. As shown in FIG. 7, the return-type transmission has a shift pattern in which a neutral position is disposed between a first speed position and a second speed position. A gear change is effected when a gear shift cam 5, which is rotated due to a shift operation by a driver of the motorcycle, sequentially changes its shift position by rotating in steps in the forward direction F and the reverse direction R. The six-speed return-type transmission disclosed in JP-A-Hei 6-123355 has a feature wherein a rotation angle θ1 of the gear shift cam 5 between the first speed position and the second speed position is larger than rotation angles θ2, θ3 . . . θ6 between other shift positions, and the neutral position is provided on a position rotated by half of the rotation angle θ1 between the first speed position and the second speed position.